People With Disabilities Can Influence Election's

published by HuffPost Impact | Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, President, RespectAbilityUSA.org | Oct 2014

Candidates are spending millions to win hotly contested elections as key battlegrounds are being drawn. Dozens of governor's races are in play, as is control of the United States Senate. Now, according to a bipartisan battleground state survey commissioned by RespectAbility of 1000 likely 2014 voters, swing voters in Senate and Governors races are more likely to vote for a candidate who makes a high priority of "enabling citizens with disabilities to get jobs and become independent." Overall, voters are similarly more likely to support candidates for U.S. Senate making this a priority at 49 percent versus 5 percent, while for Governors it is 53 percent versus 3 percent. Key swing voter groups in these battleground states are also more likely to vote for senate candidates who support these policies.

Fully 56 percent of voters report having a family member or close friend with a disability, 43 percent do not. While conventional wisdom has long been that disability issues are the purview of the Democratic Party, the poll shows otherwise. Amongst likely voters with disabilities, 31 percent are Democrats, 31 percent are Independents and 36 percent are Republicans. Amongst their family members it is 35 percent Democrats, 33 percent Independents, 30 percent Republicans. For their close friends it is 36 percent Democrats, 38 percent Independents, and 24 percent Republicans. Thus this represents the ultimate swing voter group.

Said Stan Greenberg, PhD, "Issues of employment among people with disabilities can affect outcomes in competitive races for Senate and Governor. This community is far bigger than many people realize, including people in my profession."

Likewise, Republican Whit Ayres commented, "We are accustomed to thinking about "soccer moms", "Hispanics" or "values voters." But this poll shows that Americans with disabilities - and those who care deeply about them are a demographic we need to pay attention to in the future."

Today, 70 percent of people with disabilities (PwDs) are not employed, even though polls show that most of them would prefer to work. Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life. This poll demonstrates that Americans on both sides of the aisle will vote for candidates who share their belief that people with disabilities deserve to beable to work to achieve the American dream, just like anyone else.

The U.S. recently passed the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA). However, WIOA has not yet been implemented. The next governor of every state will have the opportunity to dramatically shape these policies, and voters are demanding results. While voters are saying they want candidates who are committed to jobs and opportunities for citizens with disabilities, they don't feel they are getting it today.

A majority of Americans (54 percent) think that the state government is "not doing enough/not doing anywhere near enough" to "help people with disabilities get jobs and become independent" while 28 percent think the state is "doing more than enough/enough." While a majority respond the government is "not doing enough/not doing anywhere near enough", over 30 percent more Democrats (73 percent) believe the government is not doing enough versus 40 percent of Republicans feel the same.

The partisan split is more pronounced on the role of the federal government. Overall, likely voters respond similarly to the question of whether the federal government is doing enough to "help people with disabilities get jobs and become independent." More than half, 52 percent believe the federal government is "not doing enough/not doing anywhere near enough"(Dem 67, Rep 38), 35 percent believe it is "doing more than enough/enough" (Dem 19, Rep 49).

One of the biggest barriers for work is an outdated benefits system which was written for another time when it was assumed that people with disabilities would be dependent their whole lives. The Federal government literally called these programs "Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled." These days new technology, medical breakthroughs, and a recognition that people with disabilities want to work have destroyed this antiquated thinking.

There is strong bi-partisan support, nearly 8 out of 10 voters, for increasing the current caps on monthly income ($1,070) and assets ($2,000) of people with disabilities in order to allow them to earn more without risking their benefits. Fully 88 percent of Democrats support this increase, 9 percent oppose and 68 percent of Republicans support, 26 percent oppose. Beyond personal support for changing this policy, 71 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Republicans are more likely to vote for a candidate for U.S. Senate who supports this change. Only 5 percent of Democrats and 13 percent of Republicans are less likely to vote for senate candidates based on this issue.

Fully 88 percent feel that as a customer it is important "that the companies you do business with do not discriminate against qualified people with disabilities." Over 60 percent feel that this is "very important." And, despite the low levels of employment of people with disabilities, a nearly unanimous electorate (98 percent) is open and supportive to hiring more people with disabilities responding that if they were an employer, manager or small business owner, they would be "willing to hire a qualified person with a disability."

Businesses should recognize that there are over 56 million Americans with disabilities. They are not only voters, they are consumers.

Nearly two-thirds of voters (65 percent) surveyed favor the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also known as the Disability Treaty. The Disability Treaty is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act. This Treaty encourages the adoption of laws around the world that promote accessibility, equal opportunities and end abuse and discrimination of people with disabilities. Only 23 percent oppose the treaty.

The majority of likely American voters are experiencing disability, either because they have a disability or have a loved one who does. It impacts voting, and elected officials need to pay attention. Voters with disabilities want jobs and the people who love them want them to have the opportunity to succeed. Now is the time for candidates to bring forward their plans so that all Americans, regardless of their abilities, have the opportunity to work and succeed.

Follow Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Respect_Ability

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-laszlo-mizrahi/voters-with-disabilities-_b_5965086.html

U.S. Access Board Webinar: Accessible Retail Stores and Spaces (November 6)

as shared by the United States Access Board

The next webinar in the Board's free monthly series will take place November 6 from 2:30 – 4:00 (ET) and will feature an advanced session on retail facilities and spaces. Presenters will review requirements in the ADA and ABA Accessibility Standards covering parking, checkout aisles, sales and service counters, queues and waiting lines, and other elements. 

Questions can be submitted in advance of the session (total limited to 25) or can be posed during the webinar. An earlier webinar providing a basic overview of these requirements is available in the webinar archives. Participants are encouraged to review this archived webinar in advance of the upcoming session.

For more information, including registration instructions, visit www.accessibilityonline.org.

U.S. Access Board Releases Guidance on Accessibility of Playground Surface

as shared by United States Access Board

New guidance on selecting and installing playground surfaces is now available from the Access Board. Developed by National Center on Accessibility (NCA) at Indiana University with funding from the Board, the guide, "Seven Things Every Playground Owner Should Know About the Accessibility of Their Playground Surfaces," (also available in PDF) outlines key considerations and steps in selecting, installing, and maintaining playground surface to ensure accessibility and compliance with accessibility standards, including those issued under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA ) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA).

The ADA Standards, which apply to many types of facilities in the public and private sectors, and the ABA Standards, which cover federally funded facilities, include provisions for play areas and play surfaces. These requirements address running and cross slopes, changes in level, openings and apply industry standards for accessibility and impact attenuation issued by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

The guide describes the most popular types of playground surfacing materials, such as poured-in-place rubber, rubber tiles, engineered wood fiber, and hybrid surface systems. It compares information on each of these material types, including installation methods, accessibility issues and considerations, maintenance, repair methods, and cost. This guidance is intended to help playground owners and operators make an informed choice in selecting surface materials and ensuring that they are properly installed and maintained for accessibility. It is based on findings from a Board-sponsored study by NCA completed last year that assessed the performance of different surfacing materials at 35 playgrounds over a 3-year period.

For "Seven Things Every Playground Owner Should Know About the Accessibility of Their Playground Surfaces,"  CLICK HERE

For further information, contact Jennifer Skulski, CPSI, Principal Investigator, at jskulski@indiana.edu or (812) 856-4422, or Peggy Greenwell of the Access Board at greenwell@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0017 (v), or (202) 272-0075 (TTY).

The Church and Mental Illness

the link (pdf) to the magazine 'The Christian Citizen' is below

One in four U.S. Americans annually experience mental health issues ranging in severity from temporary psychological distress to serious depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, yet less than one-third of these persons receives appropriate care, often because of the stigma associated with these illnesses and their treatments. American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) wants to help change these statistics for the better. That is why we're providing leadership through the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC), a program of the American Association of People with Disabilities, in its partnership with the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This effort brings together religious leaders and psychiatrists to determine how we can better collaborate to reduce stigma and provide help and healing for those with mental health conditions.

In this issue: CLICK HERE for PDF magazine link

• EDITORIAL Mental Health and Faith Community Partnership
  to Reduce Stigma and Provide Help and Healing
• Mental Illness and Families of Faith: How Congregations Can Respond
• A Call to Healing
• Un llamado a la sanidad
• Depression Idols, Demons and Grace
• It Takes a Community
• Psychiatry and the Faith Community in Partnership
• NAMI FaithNet A Lifeline, a Cairn and a Network
• WISE and Caring Congregations: Creating a Safe Haven for People in
  Your Church Who Have a Mental Illness
• Youth Leaders as Instruments of Transformation and Hope
• Doing Small Things with Extraordinary Love
• Admitting Our Powerlessness
• The Pizza Mass
• A Welcoming and Supportive Environment for Latinos
• A Deep Well of Meaning
• Be Still
• When the Caregiver Needs Care
• Sand Dollar
• Spiritual insights for parents, clergy, and churches ministering to special needs families.

Paying working people with disability a higher wage can be a double-edged sword

By Lorraine Woellert, Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON — Luke Grossman makes $6 an hour and he's proud of it. At the YMCA in Norfolk, Va., where he washes towels, the boss is nice and the coffee's free.

As for his salary, "that's my business," he said.

These days, a lot of people are making it their business. Grossman, 36, has Down syndrome and is one of thousands of disabled adults who work for less than the U.S. minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Some earn only pennies doing menial tasks in settings that resemble day care more than work. The practice, which has roots in a 1938 law, has been called a godsend by some and exploitation by others.

Now the system slowly is being dismantled as Congress and President Barack Obama advance policies to raise wages for the disabled and move more people into mainstream employment. Swept up in the change are people like Grossman, his parents and his employer. All worry the new rules might leave physically and developmentally impaired adults with even fewer opportunities than they have now.

"Luke's life looks a whole lot different if he loses his job," said his father, Larry Grossman. "Anything which is going to have more people with disabilities sitting at home with nothing to do can't be good."

Sub-minimum wage work will be in shorter supply beginning Jan. 1, when federal contractors are required to begin paying employees at least $10.10 an hour. The rule applies to hundreds of nonprofit contractors that provide jobs to adults with disabilities. Many of those workers will get a raise, but others might be unemployed as companies make hard choices about who they can afford to keep on the payroll.


While Luke Grossman won't be immediately affected, positions like his are being pushed toward extinction. The legal and political campaign to abolish them has gained momentum this year with new training rules for young disabled adults. Affirmative action guidelines ask federal contractors to fill 7 percent of their payrolls with disabled workers starting next year.


Almost 2,000 companies are certified to pay less than minimum wage, according to the Congressional Research Service. Among them are hundreds of nonprofit federal contractors that employ more than 50,000 workers with disabilities, according to ACCSES, a Washington-based trade group.

Companies aren't required to disclose how many people they pay less than minimum wage, so the size of the total workforce is difficult to measure. A 2001 report from the Government Accountability Office put the number at about 424,000, almost all in highly supervised, nonprofit care centers called sheltered workshops. More than half earned less than $2.50 an hour doing menial work such as stuffing envelopes and shredding documents.

Luke Grossman's employer, Eggleston Services, has been laundering sheets and towels for the U.S. military since 1992. The Norfolk nonprofit employs about 1,000 disabled workers, some earning less than the minimum wage, some earning more. When the $10.10 rule takes effect, costs will go up, but contract revenue won't. That has Eggleston Chief Executive Officer Paul Atkinson weighing his options.

"We've already started looking at people who've maybe been working in our laundry for 20 years," Atkinson said. "Will everybody still get the kind of hours and setting they have now? No. Will people be harmed by this? Yes."

For opponents of the sub-minimum wage, the fight is as much about civil rights and independence as economics.

"Folks, frankly, have been exploited for a long time," Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said in an interview.

In the decade leading to the mid-1990s, more disabled workers were integrated into mainstream jobs. Progress slowed, however, and a 2012 report funded by the Department of Health and Human Services found that attendance at sheltered workshops and non-work care centers had "grown steadily" during the recession, to more than 566,000 in 2010.

"There has not been a meaningful change in the number in integrated employment since 2001," the report found.

Only about 20 percent of adults with disabilities are in the labor force. Last month, unemployment among those workers was 12.3 percent compared with 5.5 percent for those with no disability, according to the Labor Department.

Opponents of segregated, sub-minimum-wage work have redoubled their push for change. This summer, several dozen workers organized by the National Federation of the Blind picketed SourceAmerica, a Vienna, Va., nonprofit that helps disabled people, like Luke Grossman, find federal contracting jobs.

"A lot of people with disabilities, they're not aware they have other choices," said picketer Maurice Peret, a Baltimore resident who is blind. "They're not aware they have value in the marketplace."

Two decades ago Peret, 49, was paid about $1.50 an hour making bolts at a sheltered workshop. Now he earns about $50,000 a year training other blind people to enter the workforce.

The National Disability Rights Network, which lobbied the Obama administration for the wage rule, is filing lawsuits across the country as it seeks to eliminate the sub-minimum wage. "It is absolutely a civil rights issue," Executive Director Curt Decker said, calling the Obama order "a very important policy statement that we're going to start treating people with disabilities like everybody else."

He acknowledged that the group's success brings "a real possibility" of job losses for the very people they're trying to help. "That may be one of the unintended consequences," Decker said. "It's dying with your rights on."

Others in the disability community say work is about more than pay. Jobs, even at sub-minimum wage, provide structure, community and a sense of accomplishment. While those with disabilities such as blindness can be accommodated by employers, those with severe developmental challenges may have few skills and require close supervision.

"People who have the most severe and multiple disabilities are the ones who will lose work opportunities," said Jim Gibbons, president and chief executive officer at Goodwill Industries International in Rockville, Md. "That's the tragedy of the conversation."

Three years ago, Luke Grossman left Eggleston's main laundry, where he was earning as much as $6.25 an hour under a military contract. The company's post at the Y offered a richer social environment.

Five days a week he takes the train to the Y from his apartment in a supervised home. A self-described "big sports fan", he has plans to visit Madison Square Garden. He has a bank account and a debit card. His job, for now, is safe.


"It's not like I'm opposed to him getting a raise," his father said. "You have to look at the intangible things that people get from the workplace. Luke really loves going to work. It gives him a sense of purpose."

Ground broking ceremony for housing for disabled in Matteson, Illinois

Southtown Star | BY EVAN F. MOORE | Oct 26, 2014

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Thursday in Matteson for a residential facility for people with disabilities.

Southwick Place, 5150 Southwick, is another project of the Over The Rainbow Association, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the quality of life for people with physical disabilities, according to its Facebook page.

Southwick Place will consist of 40 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments designed for resident accessibility and self-sufficiency. It is adjacent to Rainbow Village, a similar 25-unit property, and is located near Interstate 57 and Lincoln Highway.

“There’s an incredible need in Illinois for housing for people with physical disabilities,” said Over The Rainbow executive director Eric Huffman, who emceed Thursday’s event. “We have projects going up all over the state. This was an area that we needed to serve.”

Over The Rainbow, founded in 1974, was the main developer of the project, funded by lenders, state agencies and strategic partners. The Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Federal Home Loan Bank assisted in making Southwick Place a reality.

Those on hand Thursday included U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-2nd; state Rep. Al Riley, D-Olympia Fields; and a representative from Matteson Mayor Andre Ashmore’s office.

Some residents of Rainbow Village — which was completed in 2008 — also attended.

Huffman said the waiting list from the original building played a part in Southwick Place being constructed.

“There was nothing but support for a new building,” Huffman said. “The waiting list was so big.”

The facility will include an outdoor exercise area, a library and a computer room.

The development of Southwick Place included the suggestions of Rainbow Village residents such as Elisha Banks.

“We had a lot of suggestions,” she said. “People who think they had to be dependent on others now can rely on themselves. It’s a great opportunity.”

Construction is well underway, with an estimated completion date this spring, according to the Over The Rainbow Association.

For more information on the new building, call (773) 663-5131.

http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/30670832-418/ground-broken-for-housing-for-disabled-in-matteson.html#.VE57KlUa5Skhttp://southtownstar.suntimes.com/index.html

5yr old Iris is a Artist With Autism, Expresses Herself With The Help Of Her Therapy Cat

as someone who has a 17yr old companion kitty, had to share this...


The Huffington Post | By Alena Hall | Oct 8, 2014

There's nothing quite like the unspoken bond between the best of friends.

And that bond in particular means even more to Iris Grace Halmshaw, a 5-year-old British girl who was   diagnosed with autism in 2011, reported ABC News. Her disorder prevents her from speaking like so many kids her age, so through the encouragement of her parents, she learned how to express her emotions through painting instead.

Her works of art are nothing short of incredible, and her family sells them for hundreds of dollars each, using the money to pay for her therapy treatments and art supplies, and to raise awareness about autism , according to their Facebook page.

While Iris has been painting for more than 18 months now, a new friend joined her family just before Valentine's Day this year, who has helped make all the difference in her ability and desire to communicate with the outside world. Iris took to Thula, her sweet and intelligent Maine Coon, relatively quickly and gained confidence with her speaking in trying to tell her what to do. She also  found inspiration for her painting in the therapy cat, reported The Independent.

"She has been at Iris’s side since she arrived and slept in her arms during her first night here," Iris' mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson, wrote on their website soon after getting Thula. "It   seemed like they were old friends  as I watched them on the sofa, the kitten attentively looking at the iPad screen with Iris."

"Thula’s constant presence and gentle nature is having a remarkable effect upon Iris who is nonverbal most of the time," Carter-Johnson continued to write. "I am hearing more words. Iris is giving instructions to Thula ... Iris says it with such authority that the kitten obediently sits down with her striped legs neatly together. Unlike most children of Iris’ age, she doesn’t maul, stroke or pick up the kitten constantly. Their relationship is based upon companionship."

"When Thula first came to us, Iris wouldn’t  stroke her very much, if the kitten's body touched Iris’s bare tummy she would move, so that they were just side by side," wrote Carter-Johnson. "Thula was persistent and   her everlasting loving company caught Iris’ attention. There has always been an undeniably strong connection between them right from the beginning, but now I am seeing a change in Iris’ behavior toward her."

To learn more about Iris and to see her beautiful masterpieces,  visit her website.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/08/iris-grace-and-therapy-cat-thula_n_5941252.html?cps=gravity&sf32963171=1

Disability 'Sensitivity' Training Video (cc) & description

as posted by District of Columbia Office of Disability Rights

The Sensitivity Training Video is an amazing point of view from people with disabilities.
No Transcript is available for this video (cc). The video does provide a voice-over (description) for People with visually impairments.


YouTube Published Oct 2014 by dcgovernment

For more information, visit:



http://odr.dc.gov/

Connect With Us
441 4th Street, NW, Suite 729 North, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 724-5055
Fax: (202) 727-9484
TTY: (202) 727-3363

Many in U.S. have poor nutrition, with the Disabled doing worst - UIC Study reports

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10/23/2014 | Diana Yates, Life Sciences Editor

A new study finds that though most U.S. adults fail to meet recommended daily levels of 10 key nutrients, those with disabilities do substantially worse.

At least 10 percent of U.S. adults fit into one or more category of disability, from those who have difficulties with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and eating, to those who cannot use their legs or struggle to accomplish routine tasks, such as money management or household chores.

To determine how these physical or mental difficulties can affect nutrition, University of Illinois researchers analyzed two waves of self-reported food and supplement consumption data from 11,811 adults, more than 4,200 of whom qualified as disabled. The team drew the data from the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, which are conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.

"We conducted statistical analyses to compare people with and without disabilities in terms of nutrient intake," said University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Ruopeng An and colleagues, who reported their findings in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

"We found that American people consume much lower amounts of nutrients than are recommended," An said. "For example, only 11.3 percent of people meet the daily recommended intake of fiber. Only 4.7 percent of adults consume recommended amounts of potassium."

A large majority of U.S. adults also fall short of recommended intakes of vitamin A, vitamin C , vitamin D, calcium and iron, An said. They also eat more saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium than recommended, he said.

The picture for those who are disabled is even bleaker. Disabled American adults were even less likely than those without a disability to meet recommended dietary levels of saturated fat, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and potassium, the researchers report. The only exceptions (for intake of vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber) were among people with the lowest level of disability, whose intakes were comparable to non-disabled adults, An said.

"In general, people with disabilities are also disadvantaged nutritionally compared with people without disabilities, even though the bar is already so low," he said.

Those with the most severe physical and mental challenges were also the least likely to eat well, An said. This makes sense if one considers the challenges they must overcome to obtain, prepare and eat a healthy diet, he said.

"Physically, financially and mentally, they have different barriers to accessing healthy food," he said.

A trip to the grocery store can be a challenge for anyone who uses a cane, walker or wheelchair to get around. Some cannot grasp small items, open cans or jars, or stand at a countertop to prepare foods. Some have difficulty chewing or digesting certain foods, or may be restricted to a liquid diet. Or they use medications that affect their appetite or ability to taste foods, An said.

"Dietary supplement use moderately improved vitamin C, vitamin D and calcium intakes," the researchers reported.

"Policymakers and activists for the disabled traditionally have focused primarily on improving transportation options and the physical accessibility of buildings, roads, paths and parking lots," An said. "Now it's time for them to turn their attention to the nutritional challenges that confront people with disabilities."

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Judith Scott Retrospective of Fiber Artist opens at NYC museum, Born profoundly deaf, mute, and with down syndrome

By ULA ILNYTZKY  Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Institutionalized for more than three decades and largely deaf and mute, Judith Scott found her voice through art, forming intricate sculptures of yarn, fabric and other fibers tightly wrapped around an array of found objects.

Judith Scott 

Born with Down syndrome, the late artist is getting her first solo museum exhibition in the United States. "Bound and Unbound" opens Friday at the Brooklyn Museum featuring 60 of her cocoon-like works.

But the honor would not have fazed Scott, who died in 2005 at 61. It was the creative process - not accolades - that engaged her.

Scott was single-minded about her work. As soon as she finished a piece she pushed it away to signal she was done and immediately moved on to her next project. Found or salvaged objects, everything from fans to shopping carts, gave shape to her wrapping and weaving technique.

Born in Cincinnati, Scott was largely isolated for 35 years until her sister, Joyce, became her legal guardian and introduced her to the Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, in 1987. While Scott had shown no artistic aptitude, Joyce Scott felt the facility for adults with developmental and mental disabilities would be a nurturing place for her.

It took nearly two years for Scott to begin expressing herself artistically, after a teacher brought some textiles to class and Scott picked up some sticks and began wrapping them. From then on, she was given free rein to select her materials. Gradually, her brightly-colored pieces got more complex. Some got quite large including a fiber-encased shopping cart, one of the few pieces where the object is not disguised.

"Her work had nothing to do with art therapy," said Frank Maresca, whose Chelsea gallery champions self-taught artists. "She was born with a gift of creativity" that's about form, color and process - "all the things that contemporary and modern artists are about."

Even though her work has been shown in other museums and art galleries and several major museums own some of her pieces, he said she remains largely unknown to the general public.

Maresca said he was bowled over by her creativity the minute he met her some 20 years ago and immediately decided to showcase her work at his Ricco Maresca Gallery.

"My sister was considered worthless and effectively cast aside for 35 years by society," said Joyce Scott. "It is a tribute to her inner resilience that once given the opportunity she was embraced as an artist of outstanding ability and originality."

But she said Judith Scott couldn't have realized her potential without Creative Growth.

"Judith's life and work really follows the change in disability culture and the arts that we have seen in the past few decades," said its director, Tom di Maria. "For Judith to go from an institution to the highest level of cultural achievement "is a testament to how far we have come."

Co-curators Matthew Higgs and Catherine Morris said the exhibition's goal was to build on the work Scott created for nearly 20 years.

"It's a larger narrative around the question of the relationship between creativity and disability," Higgs said.

The exhibition runs through March 29.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.